APA 6th Edition

Formatting and
Style Guide

What is APA?
APA
(American Psychological
Association)

is the most commonly

used format for
manuscripts in the
Social Sciences.

What does APA regulate?

APA regulates:
Stylistics
In-text citations
References
(a list of all sources
used in the paper)

APA stylistics: Basics

Point of view and voice in an APA paper

Use:
the third person point of view rather than
using the first person point of view or the passive
voice
The study showed that, NOT
I found out that.
the active voice rather than passive voice
The participants responded, NOT
The participants have been asked.

APA stylistics: Language

Language in an APA paper is:
clear: be specific in descriptions and
explanations

concise: condense information when you

can

plain: use simple, descriptive

adjectives and minimize the figurative
language

General Format
Your essay should:
be typed, double-spaced, with two spaces after
punctuation between sentences
on standard-sized paper (8.5x11)
with 1 margins on all sides
in 10-12 pt. Arial or a similar font
include a page header (title) in the upper lefthand of every page and a page number in the
upper right-hand side of every page

General Format
Your essay should
include four major
sections:

References
References
Main
Main Body
Body
Abstract
Abstract
Title page

Title Page

Page header:

(use Insert Page Header)

title flush left + page number

flush right.
Title:

(in the upper half of the page,

centered)

name (no title or degree) +

affiliation (university, etc.)

Abstract Page
Page header: do NOT
include Running head:
Abstract (centered, at the
top of the page)

Write a brief (between 150 and 250

words) summary of your paper in an
accurate, concise, and specific
manner. Should contain: at research
topic, research questions,
participants, methods, results, data
analysis, and conclusions. May also
include possible implications of your
research and future work you see
connected with your findings. May
also include keywords.

Main Body (Text)

The first text page is page number 3
Type the title of the paper centered, at the top of
the page
Type the text double-spaced with all sections
following each other without a break
Identify the sources you use in the paper in
parenthetical in-text citations
Format tables and figures

References Page
Center the title
References-- at the top
of the page
Double-space
reference entries

Do NOT include
Running head:
in the header after
the title page!

Flush left the first line

of the entry and indent
subsequent lines
Order entries
alphabetically by the
authors surnames

References: Basics
Invert authors names (last name first followed

by initials).
Alphabetize reference list entries the last
name of the first author of each work.
Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of
a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or
a dash in the title, and proper nouns. Do not
capitalize the first letter of the second word in a
hyphenated compound word.

In-text Citations: Basics

Whenever you use a source, provide in parenthesis:
the authors name and the date of publication

for quotations and close paraphrases, provide a

page number as well

In-text citations help readers locate the cited source

in the References section of the paper.

In-text Citations:
Format for a quotation
When quoting, introduce the quotation with a signal phrase.
Make sure to include the authors name, the year of
publication, the page number, but keep the citation brief
do not repeat the information.

Caruth (1996) states that a traumatic response

frequently entails a delayed, uncontrolled repetitive
appearance of hallucinations and other intrusive
phenomena (p.11).
A traumatic response frequently entails a delayed,
uncontrolled repetitive appearance of hallucinations
and other intrusive phenomena (Caruth, 1996, p.11).

In-text Citations:
Format for a summary or paraphrase
There are several formats for a summary or paraphrase:

provide the authors last name and the year of

publication in parenthesis after a summary or

a paraphrase:
Though feminist studies focus solely on women's
experiences, they err by collectively perpetuating the
masculine-centered impressions (Fussell, 1975).

APA Headings
APA uses a system of five heading levels

APA uses a system of five heading levels

APA Headings

Table 16
Source: Division of Angeles City

APA Tables
Label a table with an Arabic numeral and provide a
title. The label and the title appear on separate
lines above the table, flush-left and single-spaced.